Basket.



F. 0. SPIES.

BASKET. APPLIOATION'I'ILHD NOV. 17, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

ENE

FREDERICK O. SPIES, 0F WORTH, NEW YORK.

BASKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed November 17, 1909. Serial No. 528,543.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK O. Srins, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worth, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented a new and use ful Basket, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in baskets more particularly for the use of merchantmen for the storage or transportation of goods, or for transportation over considerable distances of articles liable to injury.

In accordance with the present invention the basket is made of top and bottom frames of ample strength into which are inset the sides and bottom of the basket, these sides and bot-tom being made of comparatively thin material while the whole structure is bound together by corner pieces adding strength and rigidity to the structure and avoiding the necessity of nails and like fasteners.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a basket of the nesting type constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line AB of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a cross section of a basket of the rectangular type designed more particularly for the transportation of easily bruised materials. Fig. 4 is a View on a larger scale than the other views showing a. corner structure for a sliding cover.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a basket having a top frame made up of side members 1 and end members 2 with mitered edges and substantially square in cross section. The side and end members of the top frame of the basket are formed with longitudinal grooves 3 for the reception of the sides 4 and ends 5 of the body of the basket these sides and ends being in the form of thin panels which when properly braced by the framework of the structure are amply strong for the purposes to which the basket is applied.

The bottom of the basket is similar to the top of the basket and is made up of a frame composed of side members 6 and end members 7 having grooves 8 adapted to receive the corresponding edges of the side panels 4 and end panels In the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the bottom members (3 andT are provided with other grooves 9 for the reception of abottom panel 10 and a longitudinal strengthening bar 11 may be provided between the end members 7 for adding rigidity to this part of the structure.

The meeting ends of the side panels 4 and end panels 5 of the body of the basket are covered by corner plates 12 which are continued through slots 13 formed in the corresponding ends ofthe members 1, 2, 6 and 7 of the top and bottom frames and these corner strips are there formed into tongues 14 which not only extend through the slots 13 but are continued over the top and bottom faces of the upper and lower frames and along the outer faces thereof. The meeting portions of the side and end members of the top and bottom frames of the basket are covered by corner angle strips 15 through the ends of these strips and through the corresponding portions of the tops 14 fastening devices may be driven such as nails 16 and these nails may even continue through those portions of the tops 14 which pass through the slots 13. The corner strips or plates 12 with their extensions 14 thus constitute binding members connecting the top and bottom frames of the basket together and the extensions 14 in conjunction with the corner strips 15 serve to unite the corners of the frames against accidental separation. By this means no further fastening devices are needed to make the basket strong and rigid and resistant to rough usage.

It will be observed that in the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 baskets may be readily nested together while the side and end members 1 and 2 of the top frame overhang the side and end panels 4 and 5 serving as grasping members and thereby dispensing with the necessity of handles. In the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the bottom frame is of less area than the top frame and consequently the side and end panels 4 and 5 respectively approach each other toward the bottom frame.

In the structure shown in Fig. 3 the top and bottom frames are of the same size and consequently the side and end panels are parallel instead of approaching as in the structure of Figs. 1 and 2. Furthermore the top frame secures a web 17 of suitable material to the side panels so that this web forms a flexible cradle for the reception of fruit or other easily bruised material. In the structure shown in Fig. 3 the top frame is formed on the inner faces, of the side and end members with grooves 18 for the reception of a cover 19 which may slide in place as is customary with sliding cover boxes.

In order to introduce the cover at one end of the box or basket, the corner pieces at that end of said box or basket are formed as indicated in Fig. 4, wherein the corner pieces are designated by the reference numeral 20 and are provided with notches or recesses 21 in registration with the corresponding grooves 18 designed for the reception of the side edges of the cover. The cover receiving end of the box instead of having the tongue 14 of the corresponding corner piece 12 at each corner continued over the outer face of the end member 2 is bent in the opposite direction and overrides the corresponding end of the side member 1 and is likewise cut away as shown at22 to match the groove 18. The covering receiving end of the box has the end member reduced in thickness so that its upper edge is coincident with the lower edge of the grooves 18 so as not to interfere with the in troduction of the cover. Otherwise the box is formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Here again the only nails or like members used are those securing the corner plates in position and these nails are not subjected to any material strain since the turning of the top around the corresponding frame members will resist any tendency of separation of the frame members from the side and end panels of the basket. These members will also resist to an extent the separation of the corners of the frame members but this is further resisted by the corner strips 15, both top and bottom.

It will be noted that essentially the receptacle of this invention consists of marginal frames, consisting of the top and bottom frames above described, into which are let the edges of the angularly disposed wall panels, while the meeting angles of the wall panels, are covered by angular strips, held in contact with the surfaces of said wall panels, and terminally let into the marginal frames, to occupy, in common with the wall panels, the grooves or kerfs, in which the edges of said wall panels are seated. This construction not only adds to the strength of the receptacle and consequently its general rigidity, but also its tightness, to prevent the escape of the contents thereof.

What is claimed is 1. A receptacle having a marginal frame and angularly disposed wall panels let into said frame at their edges, and angular strips covering and in contact with the wall panels at their angular intersections and terminally let into said marginal frame.

2. A receptacle having spaced marginal frames, angularly disposed wall panels terminally let into said marginal frames, and angular housing strips arranged in contact with and covering said wall panels at their angular intersections, and terminally let into said marginal frame, said housing strips be ing extended to overlap the exterior angles of said marginal frames.

3. A basket comprising top and bottom frames having longitudinal grooves and also provided with end slots extending into the grooves, side and end panels and a bottom panel seated in the longitudinal grooves of the side and end members of the top and bottom frames, corner strips applied to the meeting ends of the side and end panels and provided with tongues extending through the grooves and slots in the ends of the side and end members of the top and bottom frames and then bent outwardly around the said ends in embracing relation thereto, and corner strips housing the ends of the tongues and secured thereto to hold the corresponding portions of the side and end members of the top and bottom frames.

4. In a basket, top and bottom frames, intermediate panels comprising the sides and ends of the basket, the top and bottom frames having longitudinal grooves and the intermediate panels being seated in said grooves and the bottom frame also having other grooves, a bottom seated in the grooves in the bottom frame of the basket other than those receiving the intermedate panels, and corner strips extending along the edges of the side and end panels and into those v grooves in the top and bottom members receiving the side and end panels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK O. SPIES.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES A. PHELPS, FANNY M. CONVERSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

